Empowerment, originality and innovation does not come from dressing provacitively, it comes from within ( and not from having a masters degree). Most women who fit the above descriptions do not dress trashy. Hence, you are offending these types of powerful women by comparing yourself to them. If you want to dress in what you feel comfortable in a private setting, that is fine. However, you need realize that you are in a public domain and that you will face these types of unwanted attention. If you don't want people to comment on your attire, you should have been smart enought to know not to dress like you did at the event. ps: don't pluck too much, your eyebrows won't grow back.